[harry10]

Originally Posted by rovingeye

With 4/3, he did what the situation demanded. India would have had the match in our pocket had he not been wrongly adjudged LBW.

Situation didn't demanded a test match. It demanded rotate the strike and not go boundary hunting. He failed in that. We lost by 34 runs. He wasted 45 balls. Didn't had any intent of taking singles in his innings. That's what was wrong. And it's not just a 1 off case. This has been going on since couple of years. Anyone remembers Lord's match where he simply gave up and was even booed by the crowd?
He was a champion finisher. He isn't anymore. Selectors and team management can't accept it. And this will cost us world cup.

We lost to a B team. This ain't even A team of Australia with a below par score. How the hell we can think of winning from SA,England. We haven't learned from a 4-1 loss in england. Need better players in middle order. DK, Dhoni ain't cutting it.

[pratyush6]

I guess by the looks of it some people would rather prefer everyone keep playing in the same mode, irrespective of a situation. So the guy who put his hands up, did the dirty job in getting close and got a howler was the one who lost it for the team. That's some way to go!

PS: If only everyone did their job, we would have won and it's perfectly fine to get out out for single digits. Also fine to keep wasting reviews.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by rovingeye

With 4/3, he did what the situation demanded. India would have had the match in our pocket had he not been wrongly adjudged LBW.

I would definitely disagree, today Dhoni did look out of sorts, something like an injury/niggle seemed to be troubling him. The shot he played was one of a fatigued batsman and commentators called that out too.
On today's form alone, I didn't believe he could have taken us to victory in this match. His slow batting without rotating the strike can definitely cost us matches at this level (has been the case in past matches as well with Dhoni) and hopefully the team/selectors will ponder over this especially with the world cup in mind.

On the other hand, Rohit took 12 balls to get off the mark, scored 5 off 20 balls but then his strike rate kept going up as he started getting in and eventually he had a 100+ strike rate. If only Dhoni had rotated the strike better, the result could have been different.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by NPV

I would definitely disagree, today Dhoni did look out of sorts, something like an injury/niggle seemed to be troubling him. The shot he played was one of a fatigued batsman and commentators called that out too.
...
His slow batting without rotating the strike can definitely cost us matches at this level (has been the case in past matches as well with Dhoni) and hopefully the team/selectors will ponder over this especially with the world cup in mind.
...
If only Dhoni had rotated the strike better, the result could have been different.

+1

And that is why I had questioned the call to keep Dhoni a day earlier that it's about time BCCI started taking decisions long term perspective and not playing star-player based. Not saying Pant or Saha might have come out guns blazing, but the team would have had to come up with a different approach than depending on a great player who's potentially at the risk of not delivering at this stage.

Yes, there could have been a winning situation if Dhoni had continued his innings, but it's just one of the scenarios and increasingly difficult as time passes. Rather than test that situation, I would have preferred they take a more better call.

I hope we show a much better face in the next few matches; especially on the bowling and fielding aspects which seemed lack-luster today. This was a match where we should have not allowed them to go beyond 250-260ish.

[harry10]

Mayank and Vijay Shankar have replaced Rahul and Pandya for Aus and NZ series.

Should have included Pant. We need a middle/lower order explosive finisher.

[PPS]

Most people blaming Dhoni for his labored effort & perhaps rightly so, but the Australian new ball bowlers also deserve some credit for the early breakthroughs. To score 250 odd after being 4/3 was a decent effort i felt. It was a wonderful opportunity for Karthik & Jadeja but they were just not good enough.

With Pandya being suspended pending inquiry, that automatically means Chahal also gets banned from the XI. We have had success in ODI's in the past couple of years because of the 2 wrist spinners picking wickets in the middle overs. Now just for the sake of balance Chahal can't be played! I'm sure the spinners enjoy bowling on the bigger Australian grounds.

[karanraheja]

Originally Posted by PPS

It was a wonderful opportunity for Karthik & Jadeja but they were just not good enough.

IMO its a bit harsh to say Dinesh was not good enough. The Required Rate was well past 8runs/over when he came to crease. In recent matches he has scored quite decently.

Originally Posted by harry10

Should have included Pant. We need a middle/lower order explosive finisher.

We already have 2 Keepers in the team , Pant is a hit or a miss . He has to be more consistent in the shorter format to get a place in the team as a pure batsmen.

I feel Jadhav should get into the Playing XI. Brings a better balance to the team.

[Manoj2268]

Basic strike rotation cost us the match. There was Rohit at the other end, blasting boundaries so MSD should have taken the mantle of rotating the strike, stealing couples here and there.

I heard that MSD did not play a single domestic match to prepare for the tour.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by harry10

Mayank and Vijay Shankar have replaced Rahul and Pandya for Aus and NZ series.

Rahul, I think has a record - player with most Indian caps but with least amount of time spent at the crease.

Originally Posted by Manoj2268

I heard that MSD did not play a single domestic match to prepare for the tour.

The current trend in Indian cricket team is not to play practice matches. As long the yo-yo test is cleared, player can take the field.


Now that Dhoni has required match practice, expecting his strike rate to match ODI standards.

[suku_patel_22]

Originally Posted by harry10

Mayank and Vijay Shankar have replaced Rahul and Pandya for Aus and NZ series.

Its Shubham Gill and Vijay Shankar who got the call up.
Vijay Shankar, Shubman Gill named replacements for Pandya, Rahul

[srishiva]

Mayank Agarwal would do much better than Dinesh Karthik. He played with good strike rates even in Test matches and he can play both ways if situation demands. I dont remember Dinesh K doing something great except couple of ODIs and some IPL matches.

Pant should have been given the time to develop in the team to help in the world cup. Dhoni can be made the coach/manager of the team if he is really required to be part of the team

[harry10]

Originally Posted by suku_patel_22

Its Shubham Gill and Vijay Shankar who got the call up.
Vijay Shankar, Shubman Gill named replacements for Pandya, Rahul

Mayank was the initial choice. Then he was reported not to have recovered from injury, so Gill was called up. Good replacement.

Originally Posted by srishiva

Mayank Agarwal would do much better than Dinesh Karthik. He played with good strike rates even in Test matches and he can play both ways if situation demands. I dont remember Dinesh K doing something great except couple of ODIs and some IPL matches.

Pant should have been given the time to develop in the team to help in the world cup. Dhoni can be made the coach/manager of the team if he is really required to be part of the team

DK and Dhoni are spent forces. Expecting them to play match changing innings is foolish by selectors and the team management. On top of it Dhoni didn't prepared at all for the series. Look at Australia players. Richardson, handscomb both were playing BBL and were called in the team on good performances. And they performed here too. And our greatest ex captain feels it's below him to play Domestic tournaments.

Times of India has done great reporting how Dhoni has played with ridiculous average and strike rate since last 2 years and it's costing us crucial matches.

Pant may be a less keeper than Dhoni but on current form he is leaps ahead of Dhoni in batting. With Dhoni in team for world cup and shaky middle order I have no hopes for World cup. Top 3 can't play match winning innings every match.

[fiestarry]

It is sad to see that some people are complaining about Dhoni. Ridiculous indeed That man has single handedly won three or four World Cups for India, several IPLs for Chennai very recently. Even if he doesn't score or keep well, his sheer presence is so important for the team that the opposition just gives up the game. Like yesterday for instance !
Oh, the Dhoni myth has been perpetrated by the BCCI and its paid performing clowns for so long. The oppositions have realised this obsession and play along by encouraging the Indians to select him. The poor fellow Pant can hit super hundreds but will always be called a second keeper by the mythologists.Dhoni ensures by his slow and awkward batting, that his average remains high and poor DK has to throw his own wicket away chasing 11 runs an over.
I wonder when logic and and future planning will take precedence over cults and fan clubs

[Ragavsr]

It looks harsh and stupid to ban a couple of players for an incident that happened outside the cricket field.

Pandya brings a balance to the team that no other player brings. Heck, whatever that was said is not even a criminal offence to begin with considering it was a generalized statement.

Looks like moral policing has gone beyond a point.

[RedStallion]

Originally Posted by Ragavsr

Looks like moral policing has gone beyond a point.

+1

I totally agree with you on this point. Hardik is a good athlete.

When he had said, "he likes Kohli compared to Sachin", it was his personal opinion. Nobody should get offended by his views.

IMO, both Kohli and Sachin have already done many good things for our country. Kohli's determination and hard work are definitely inspiring.

I hope, people come above this moral policing.

KL Rahul should focus on his game right now.

Cheers!